Introduction

Although the whole IT industry is slowly but surely moving to parallel computing and multithreading, dual core processors still hold a huge advantage over Triple or Quad Core models in terms of market share. There are few reasons for this situation. Nowadays Dual Cores are cheap, energy efficient and most of the times, pack enough power for an enjoyable experience in every day computing, gaming, work, etc. AMD and Intel wage their marketing war in the upper segment models with Phenom II and Core i5/i7 processors, only to win the war in the lower end segments. It's like in Formula 1 - there is no better commercial for a manufacturer than a Formula 1 title, which can be used later to stick it in the brands of every day family cars. If you have one product that is the best of the best out there, it's easier to convince people that every other product from your product line performs at the same price/performance ratios.

The new Athlon II brand is very important to AMD, and Quad Core versions under it have done remarkably well so far. Triple Cores are on the way to the stores, and by the looks of it, it's going to be an another win for AMD in this segment. This time though we're having a look at the dual core Athlon II X2 240 processor. It's an entry-level model for X2 series (not including the "e" models), and the most attractive one for small companies, and budget-oriented users.

I would like to thank Links for providing the processor sample for this review.

Packaging and Contents

The Athlon II X2 240 comes in retail packaging that includes a short installation manual, AMD Athlon II case-badge, AMD-certified aluminum heatsink, and of course the processor itself. AMD offers a 3-year warranty for all retail processors, including this one.